Islamic Literature from Different Perspectives - Essay Example

 Islamic Literature from Different Perspectives There are different philosophies and agendas in Islamic literature found on websites or in brochures that are available in mosques, community centers or churches etc. The difference in perspectives of Islamic literature depends upon the respective philosophy or agenda of the group or organization that prepared such literature. If Islamic literature found on http://www.al-islam.com/eng/, http://www.islamicity.com/, and http://www.truthnet.org/Islam/ are compared on the basis of their scholarly approach, the different philosophies of each group or organization that prepared such material shall come to light. The Ministry of Islamic affairs, Endowment, Da’Wah and Guidance of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has developed www.al-islam.com/eng/ to propagate the teachings of Islam in a purely educational way. Saudi Arabia houses the Ka’aba and Muslims all over the world look towards it for religious guidance. The default language is Arabic; yet, it can be translated in seven languages, so that Muslims living in any part of the world can access this website for guidance purposes. It does not include any personal opinion or the reflections of other people or religions. It deals with four main sections: Quran, Hadith, Inheritance and Hajj & Umrah. Quran, Hadith, Hajj and Umrah have specific subjects; while the inheritance calculates the shares of the living heirs according to four different schools of thoughts: Hanifi, Maliki, Shafi’i , and Hanbali. Muslims all over the world follow the guidance of four main Islamic scholars: Imam Hanifi, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i, and Imam Hanbali. This website acknowledges all four schools of thought of the Muslim faith; however, it downrightly ignores the concepts and fundamentals of the Shiite Muslims. “Shia Islam represents 10-20% of Muslims worldwide, and its distinguishing feature is its reverence for Ali as an infallible, divinely inspired leader, and as the first Imam of the Muslim community after Muhammad.”(CIA World fact book, 2011) Therefore, it can be inferred that this website is targeted at the Sunni population of Muslims all over the world, as only their respective schools of thought are used for scholarly references. This website can be termed as the most authentic website with the most authentic information available online, due to its scholarly approach. The anticipated agenda of this website is to spread the knowledge of Islam with scholarly approach so as to assert the authenticity of the Islamic literature found here. It is explicitly stated in its copyright statement: “All rights reserved for the ministry unless used for research or daw’ah purpose.” (www.al-Islam.com) “The word "Da'wah" in Arabic simply means to invite to something. When it is used in conjunction with Islam it is understood to mean "Inviting to the Way of submission and surrender to Allah."( http://www.islamtomorrow.com/dawah/) Daw’ah forms an integral part of Islamic teachings. It is based upon the concept of inviting people to understand Islam. Islam does not believe in forceful implementation of its teachings and the word Daw’ah carries a specific meaning when used in the context of Islam. Thus the purpose of this website is to assist people and organizations for research and Daw’ah purposes. It does not endorse the viewpoints of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia- it simply draws upon the authentic and scholarly references that are followed globally by the Muslims to understand the teachings of Islam. The various procedures for Hajj & Umrah section are explicitly referenced from the Quran- the Holy book of Muslims. The photo gallery and the videos in the Hajj & Umrah section make sure that the educational purpose of this website is served well. This website provides links to four other Arabic websites which are also related to Islamic literature. There is a services section that deals with prayer timings and calculation of prayer timings in different places of the world. Zakat calculation is also made easy using the online calculator; while Date Converter helps in calculating the hijri dates or the lunar (Islamic) calendar. The Quran section offers recitations in two versions: Al-Husairi and Al-Hudaifi. It also offers the translation of Arabic Quranic verses in 6 other languages, including English and French. The chapters of Quran are divided into three main sections, according to the time periods: Meccan and Medinan, Meccan and Medinan. The purpose of this classification of the surahs or chapters in Quran is to elucidate the different messages in each category and to make indexing easy for the readers to locate the required chapters. The themes in Quran are divided into thirteen topics. Thus, someone looking for authentic reference to any issue may click on the related link and find the further sub divisions on that topic. This kind of referencing has made research for the required verse extremely simple. Hadith is “a narrative record of the sayings or customs of Muhammad and his companions” according to Merriam Webster Dictionary. (2011) The Hadith section is also broadly classified into five topics. Each covers sub topics with authentic reference to the time, place, event or occasion whenever the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said or did anything. The tradition of Hadith is based upon authentic records of the sayings of the Holy prophet. It is important to counter check the credibility and authenticity of Hadith to which a reference is made in any kind of Islamic literature. A Hadith with no scholarly reference is not credible and thus, not acknowledged by Muslims. At Al-Islam.com, all Hadith is properly cited, for example: “655 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time.” (al-Islam.com) The main themes of Quran are referenced to the respective verses, but no elaborate explanation is offered. Perhaps the reason behind this is the difference of interpretation in some cases between the four main schools of thought of Sunni Muslims. Moreover, the approach of this website is that Quran is self explanatory and the message of Allah is direct and simple. Thus, to avoid confusion and discord among the followers of the various schools of thought, simple translations have been employed to convey the message of Allah. For instance, the last verse of the first Surah or chapter of the Holy Quran is translated in these words: “Show us the straight way; The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.” (6-7) Zakat is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam. Such Muslims that own or possess certain amount of cash, valuables, property etc. are bound by Islam to pay 2.5% of it to the poor and needy. “Zakat is the amount of money that every adult, mentally stable, free, and financially able Muslim, male and female ... Rate Zakat is a multi-rate system.”(Cordes, Ebel, & Gravelle, 479) The Zakat calculator takes into account bank notes, gold, silver, ornaments, debts, capital goods, cattle, merchandize, fruits and other crops, minerals and extracted treasures. A main drawback of this website is that it lacks any section that deals with contemporary issues of the Muslims and the changing dynamics of the world. Though the information available on this website is undoubtedly authentic and cited from scholarly resources, but it does not clarify the viewpoints of Muslims in the world. It does not defend the Muslims against the allegations by other religions regarding the burning issues of terrorism etc. Such issues should be highlighted and addressed in a direct manner according to the teachings of Islam to teach the Muslims and the rest of the world about the peacefulness of Islam. On the other hand, http://www.islamicity.com/ is an interactive platform for people to express their opinions and feelings about their Islamic ways of life. The articles may be submitted by everyone that may or may not include scholarly references; however, the opinions expressed in such articles are based on personal experiences and free of prejudice. The website however, employs scholarly references wherever required: “According to the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, having a good attitude is an important characteristic that pleases Allah: "The most beloved to me and the closest to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those of you who have the best attitude (toward others)" (Fath al-Bari, 10/4-56, Kitab al-Adab, bab husn al-Khuluq; Muslim, 15/78)”. (Islamicity.com) This website has its own set of agenda and philosophy: bringing the community together; educating people through personal experiences and contemporary changes; sharing news and views of the world; and portraying the current picture of Islam etc. The articles are properly cited and explain the teachings of the holy Quran and Hadith in the light of the current economic and societal conditions. The agenda of this website is to present Islam and its teachings in such a way so as to do away with the popular controversies attributed to Islam. This website aims to promote Islamic culture and urges the Muslims to shape their lives according to the changing trends of economy and society. The section Discover Islam deals with the basic concepts of Islam. Each topic is explored by quoting Quran and Hadith. The common questions arising in the minds of people of other faith are answered in a simple and satisfactory manner. For instance, the status of human rights in Islam is explained in the following way: How does Islam guarantee human rights? Freedom of conscience is laid down by the Quran itself: 'There is no compulsion in religion'. (2:256) The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether a person is Muslim or not. Racism is incomprehensible to Muslims, for the Quran speaks of human equality in the following terms: ‘O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All Aware (49-13)’ (Islamicity.com) The Sunnah section has a huge database of Hadith which is duly referenced from scholarly resources. Bible has also been used as an authentic reference in this website to associate the teachings of Islam with Christianity. Indeed the King James version of the Bible mentions the pilgrims passing through the valley of Ba'ca (another name of Mecca) in Psalms 84:4-6. Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the beloved of God. His elect and messenger who will bring down a law to be awaited in the isles and who "shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgement on earth." Verse 11, connects that awaited one with the descendants of Ke'dar. Who is Ke'dar? According to Genesis 25:13, Ke'dar was the second son of Ishmael, the ancestor of prophet Muhammad. (Badawi, Islamicity.com) So, the perspectives of this website which is prepared by an NGO and the other that is prepared by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia differ in their respective perspectives. Islamicity.com gives a picture of the modern day world and helps Muslims to maintain their religious identity by keeping in view the dynamics of the changing world. It does not focus on any one school of thought in particular- rather it sees Muslims as an entity- a people that share common beliefs and that are striving to assert their religious identity as a peaceful lot. There is yet another website: http://www.truthnet.org/Islam/ which presents a Christian perspective of Islam. This website gives information about different religions including Islam. There are different sections under the main section of Islam related to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Jewish Foundations of Islam, and the Muslim Christ etc. The philosophy behind this website is to address the basics and dynamics of different religions, including Islam and to give a comparison or contrast between different religions. This website is targeted at both: Muslim and non-Muslim populations and anyone requiring unbiased perspective of any religion may get the relevant information from the articles and scholarly references to Quranic texts and Hadith. While this may be the apparent agenda of this website, the real philosophy behind it is to subtly highlight controversial issues of Islam. ‘Ester’s story: How a Muslim girl found Christ’ is one such example. Special emphasis has been made to mar the image of Muslims and Islam in general by statements like: ‘I read about the offensive wars and the bloody conquests made to spread Islam”; and “The Massacre of the Qurayza Jews affected me the most. Dear reader, I urge you to read for yourself the account of this battle (Ibn Hisham: The Prophet's Biography; vol 2 pages 40-41). I wrestled inside, thinking, "but Islam means peace! How can this be?" The status of women has been shown to be derogated in Islam in the following lines: “Although I knew men could have a maximum of four wives, I didn't realize that Muhammad had special privileges, including unlimited concubines. I read about Aisha, his nine-year-old bride. I learned about the "deficiency of a woman's mind" as narrated by Al-Bukhari. I also found out that the majority of people in Hell were women, according to the same source.”(Truthnet.org) Such inflammatory remarks cannot be termed unbiased, as these have been mentioned on purpose to propagate anti-Muslim agenda. The reasons why a Muslim girl converted to Christianity are not sound- though references to the holy books have been cited in this story, yet the no solid association has been established that could account for the reasons of her conversion. The only possible reason as apparent in the story is her personal dissatisfaction with her life but it is attributed to the misconceptions about Islam. ‘Timothy Abraham’s story: In the valley of tears’ is yet another example of defaming Islam and misrepresenting the teachings of Islam. The real agenda of this website is to target the conflicting themes of Quran and Bible and establish the authenticity of Bible as the word of God. In the article titled: ‘What is Islam?’ Islamic fundamentalism has been portrayed as the source of terrorism in the world. Ironically, next to a picture of the exploding Twin Towers on 9/11 is used to illustrate Islamic fundamentalism. Fundamentalist see the United States as Satan’s power in the battle with Islam. Television, movies, alcohol, carnal lifestyles and their influence on Muslim countries pits the US and the West at war with Islam. Furthermore, the United States support for Israel enrages Muslims; Israel is seen as Enemy No.1 to Muslim nations. (Truthnet.org) In the section titled ‘Answering Muslims: Challenging the Cults’, orthodox views of Christians are propagated and Muhammad and Quran are downrightly negated to be the holy prophet and the holy book, respectively. Thus, www.truthnet.org is working on an anti-Islam agenda and the scholarly references to Quran and Hadith have been used to misinterpret the teachings of Islam. The personal accounts of the Esther and Timothy Abraham are used to defame the holy prophet and the holy book of Muslims. It is important to note that the www.al-islam.com and www.islamicity.com do not defame the holy prophets or the holy books of any religion. The former website only provides the fundamental knowledge of Islam, without resorting to personal opinions or experiences. It neither challenges nor defends the criticism made against Islam or Muhammad. The latter website serves as a platform to impart basic knowledge along with personal narratives of people about how Islamic ways of life have affected their lives in general and in particular. It defends Islam as a peaceful religion that teaches its followers to live in peace with others. The difference in perspectives of the three websites discussed above is based on their respective agendas- pro-Islam and anti-Islam. Thus it has been made clear how scholarly references to the Holy book and Hadith have been employed by each of these websites to portray their desired outlooks on Islam and Muslims. Work Cited Cordes, J. J., Ebel, D. R., & Jane Gravelle. Encyclopaedia of Taxation and Tax Policy. 2nd edition. USA: The Urban Institute Press, 2005. Print. Badawi, Jamal. “Muhammad in the Bible”. Islamicity. Web. “Religions”. CIA World fact book. Web. Hadith. “Previous Nations”. Al Islam. Web. 8 August 2011 “Hadith”. Merriam Webster Dictionary. Web. 8 August 2011 “Da’Wah”. Islam Tomorrow. Web. 8 August 2011 Read More